Shot Through the Heart
by artemisfang
Summary: YonaxHak one-shot. The night they both finally realize (and act upon) their feelings.


A/N: So once upon a time, I said I only wrote Fairy Tail fanfiction. Which I haven't written in way too long because of school and so forth. But then I watched Yona of the Dawn and realized that it is stunningly amazing in every way (and also that YonaxHak is now one of my OTPs.) I couldn't help but write this short little one-shot as my tribute to the ship. In my head, it takes place somewhere in the middle of season 1, but I'm not sure the placing is all that important. If you've seen past episode 11, you won't be spoiled. Enjoy. :) ~Cassie

Hak watched as the hundredth arrow Yona had fired that night hit the center of her practice tree trunk. Every night, he watched to see whether she would keep up her archery practice. And every night, so far, she had.

It had been his duty to guard Yona for years now, and he had always enjoyed her company in that time, even if she'd never know it from his teasing. But it wasn't until this journey that Hak had felt something else for Yona. The rational part of his mind called it respect, but another part knew it was something more. He allowed himself to wonder, from time to time, whether Yona was aware of whether he saw her as a woman now. So far, every attempt at finding out had led to brilliant displays of naivety from Yona. Or at least, he chalked it to naivety for the sake of his ego.

The sound of an arrow whizzing by him shook Hak out of his thoughts. Instinctively, his head snapped up, revealing Yona with an eyebrow raised and one hand on her hip. "Are you spying on me, Hak?"

"It's not spying if I'm your guard, Princess," Hak said nonchalantly. He plucked the arrow from the ground near him and spun it between his fingers. "That was a poor shot, by the way."

He could see the frustration in her eyes. "Obviously I wasn't trying to hit you, you idiot."

"Always aim with intention, Princess, or you'll get used to missing." Hak chuckled as Yona glared in response.

"Yon is still a better teacher than you." Yona notched another arrow, turning back towards the tree. It was then that Hak heard footsteps. Of course, the good for nothing White Snake was still slumbering peacefully next to Yon. Granted, Yona had strayed far from their camp to practice. Just as Hak leapt up, grabbing his spear, he noticed Yona aiming in his direction out of the corner of his eye. Out of all the times she had to pick to defy his words, why now? Besides, that arrow wasn't going to hit him. She was aiming just a bit too far to the left.

With the footsteps were getting closer, Hak couldn't afford to worry about Yona's shooting. He swung his spear, but heard a grunt before it even made contact. The man on the ground at his feet had an arrow impaled in his chest.

Hak spun around as he heard Yona's muffled scream. Her elbowing had no effect on the man behind her. Hak leapt forward, dispatching the man in one blow. Yona dropped to the ground as Hak swung his blade again, sending the two men lurking behind her attacker flying.

"Are you injured, Princess?" Hak asked, kneeling down beside her. Yona had pushed herself into a sitting position, but her bangs obscured her eyes.

"Is he dead?" Yona asked, her voice trembling.

"The man you shot? Yes." Hak refrained from making any of his usual jokes. He sensed the conflict inside Yona.

Yona took a deep breath. When she looked up at Hak, he could see water in the corner of her eyes, but she wasn't crying. "I wanted to protect you. I'm...I'm sorry that you still had to protect me, instead."

Hak closed his eyes for a second, fighting back his feelings. He couldn't-he shouldn't-allow himself to say what he was really thinking, to act on the desires bubbling within him. "Princess, I told you to think of me as your tool. You don't have to protect-"

"But you're not my tool, Hak!" Yona said this loud enough that Hak was almost sure that both the White Snake and Yon could hear her, if the bandit attack hadn't already awoken them. "You're my childhood friend, you're my best friend, and I…" A blush came over Yona's cheeks that matched the color of her hair.

Hak couldn't resist any longer. He pulled Yona towards him, and this time, it wasn't their foreheads that collided. For a moment he felt her stiffen, and then she relaxed into him, kissing him back. When they broke apart, Hak whispered, "I told you to be careful about wakening the desire in me."

"I didn't-I always thought you saw me as the weak princess you were duty bound to guard because we'd been friends for so long. I never thought you had those kinds of feelings for me."

And I thought you'd remain in love with Soo-Won forever, Hak thought. He didn't dare voice that thought now and ruin this moment, though. "Princess, you are far from weak." Hak pulled her in again, and this time she met his lips eagerly. Although he could have easily resisted, he allowed her to push him over, so she ended up lying on top of him. "Princess, do you know what you're getting yourself into?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, her face still only inches above his.

"If you start this now, I won't be able to pretend that this didn't happen tomorrow." A lie. For Yona, he would do whatever he needed to, even if meant swallowing his feelings. Again. But he needed to know.

"Good." Yona sounded confident, but he could see the blush creeping onto her cheeks again. "I...I don't want you to pretend it didn't. I want you, Hak."

"You've done it now." In that instant, as Yona smiled, still laying on top of him, Hak knew that he would never be able to free his heart from the fierce red-haired princess' grasp.

And so long as this remained his reality, he would never want to.


End file.
